late dining time for BOG should I call?

[StormyCA]

I just made a ressie for BOG in April '15 and the earliest time they had was 8:15. We'd really prefer to dine earlier. Would there be any point in calling Disney Dining to see if they have any earlier openings?

Would there be a point to checking online periodically to see if I can change to an earlier time?

BTW, this is my first 'culture shock' of WDW vs DL. I was astounded to see that all earlier times were gone!

 

[figment_jii]

I just made a ressie for BOG in April '15 and the earliest time they had was 8:15. We'd really prefer to dine earlier. Would there be any point in calling Disney Dining to see if they have any earlier openings?

You can call, but in my experience, the CMs on the phone don't have access to any additional ADRs. They see the same "pool" as the online system, so there is really no advantage to calling.

Would there be a point to checking online periodically to see if I can change to an earlier time?

Yes, people's plan change all the time, so ADRs to open up. You have to be persistent and hope for a little luck.

BTW, this is my first 'culture shock' of WDW vs DL. I was astounded to see that all earlier times were gone!

Dining at WDW is very different than at DLR. The system opens up 180-days in advance and the most popular ADRs will fill up immediately (or be already full due to onsite guests who have access to +10-days of ADR). BOG is the most popular location in WDW, so ADRs go very quickly, but that doesn't mean ADRs don't come open later on (especially when people's plans start to firm up).

 

[purple figment]

BOG is the most popular restaurant currently and therefore the hardest reservation to get. It books up almost immediately. To get an earlier time you'll need to be persistent - checking online as often as possible. There's some movement around the 45 day mark when packages need to be paid in full and very close to the day you want as people modify their daily plans. However, cancellations can occur at any time and will go back into the reservation system almost immediately so checking at any time is a good idea. It's a matter of being online checking just as a cancellation re-enters the system.

If you are flexible in your choice of day or time it will help expand your options.

You can also subscribe to the April cancellation thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3336591

Calling the dining line won't really help much since they usually see the same availability as online.

 

[bebe88]

Also, there's a rumor going around that BOG is going to open for breakfast starting in February. They will likely open a bunch of spots all at once if thats the case. I'd be checking for that a few times a day if interested.
I'm 12 days out and have been able to secure BOG in the past 2 weeks. Seeing a lot of hard to get ADR's come available as we get closer to our trip. Good luck.

 

[bebe88]

please delete

 

[bebe88]

Also, there's a rumor going around that BOG is going to open for breakfast starting in February. They will likely open a bunch of spots all at once if thats the case. I'd be checking for that a few times a day if interested.
I'm 12 days out and have been able to secure BOG in the past 2 weeks. Seeing a lot of hard to get ADR's come available as we get closer to our trip. Good luck.

 

[StormyCA]

Thanks all!

Yes, a whole new 'World' than what I'm used to as a DL regular! But I was 'warned' so you won't hear any whining or unfair comparisons from me!

I'll keep on checking for earlier times, but I'm not going to worry. If we can't get an earlier time, that just means an extra Dole Whip to tide me over from lunch! Can't complain about that!